Curtain Call

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

       "Nolan, I have a very important question to ask you," Jerome says as we're waiting for rehearsal to being today. We've finally finished learning the choreography for Born to Hand Jive so we will be working on a new number today. It's most likely going to be a group number which does make me a bit nervous since if I'm involved, it will include me singing in front of everyone.

       I already did on the very first day of rehearsals, but I still feel nervous having to do it again. Which is odd because I never really feel nervous about dancing in front of everyone. Different performing arts, but I still have to do it in front of everyone.

       "What is it?" I ask.

       "If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?" Jerome asks.

       I furrow my eyebrows. "How is that an important question?"

       Jerome doesn't answer my question. Instead, he answers his own question since he doesn't think I will do it and apparently, it's an important one. "You would be a cute-cumber."

       Despite knowing that Jerome is giving me yet another pick up line, I say, "I think I'd rather be celery. That's my favourite vegetable."

       Jerome sighs and leans back in his chair. "So much for that pick up line. Nothing works with you. You're too serious."

       I snort. "Okay." I don't think I'm that serious of a person. I just don't get some of these pick up lines that Jerome is giving me. Why would I want to be a vegetable in the first place? If anything, I'd rather be a fruit. Like a banana. I like bananas.

       "You know, one of these days, I'm going to get you to react to one of my pick up lines," Jerome says. "Like with a blush or something. You'd be cute when you blush."

       "Blushing isn't cute. It's annoying. I blush and then someone points it out and it makes me blush harder."

       "You're impossible."

       I just smile at him in reply. 

       Soon before rehearsal starts, Pilar walks into the theatre since she is going to be choreographing all the numbers and just not the big dance number at the beginning of act two. We have a few more minutes before rehearsal starts so Jerome takes his cell phone out of his pocket, opening an app before saying, "I got another one."

       "Another what?" I ask. "Pick up line? Shouldn't you limit yourself to one per day?"

       "Maybe, but I don't like failing this badly so I need to try to succeed."

       "If you didn't like failing this badly, shouldn't you be doing your homework and studying a lot more than usual?"

       "I don't appreciate this slander." He puts his phone back into his backpack. "Forget it. I don't want to give you a pick up line anymore when you're giving me this much attitude."

       "Oh, no, what a shame. I don't know how I'll survive. I just live every day knowing you'll give me a pick up line. How will I ever move on?"

       Jerome glares at me, still unable to recover from failing to make me react some sort of way to the pick up lines. If I'm being honest, he's lucky I actually haven't reacted yet. I normally blush so easily so the moment he gives me a pick up line I actually understand, it's game over for me.

       I really hope I don't get to that point because I know Jerome will never let me hear the end of it.

       Rehearsal officially starts so Ms. Salazar tells us that Pilar will once again be taking over rehearsals. We'll be learning Summer Nights this time, which it the number I'm most excited for. Most of us are in this scene except for the actors that are playing adults or people that don't go to Rydell High.

       "Alright, everyone," Pilar says. "This is going to be different than when you were learning Born to Hand Jive since you'll also have to focus on singing. Singing isn't the main focus right now, however. When we run it with music, we'll be listening to music with vocals. Later on, you'll be doing the singing."

       Okay, good. Maybe I won't be singing at all today. Hopefully, that will give me sometime to work up the nerve. Though knowing myself, I won't be able to work up the nerve. I'll just be anxious the whole time, wondering what everyone else is going to think.

       Even if I tell myself that I got this role for a reason, I can't stop myself from thinking of the negative thoughts people might have of me.

       Learning the choreography for Summer Nights is almost as fun as learning Born to Hand Jive. There's just something so thrilling and exhilarating about being on stage, pretending to be someone else. Even though I know I'll eventually have to perform in front of an audience and not just my fellow cast mates which will be extremely anxiety inducing, I'm excited to see what the final result of the play will be like.

       Halfway through the rehearsal, we're given a short break since we're doing a lot of learning. As much as I love dancing, my brain is already fried so I decide to lie on the stage for a quick nap.

       Jerome crouches down beside me. "I've got another one."

       "Whatever it is, the answer is no," I say. "Also, let me sleep."

       "We got a ten minute break. I doubt you're going to be able to fall asleep. Anyway, I'd like to take you to the movies, but they don't let you bring your own snacks."

       "People sneak in snacks all the time. I don't think that's going to stop you."

       "Oh, so you want to get to the movies?"

       "Nope. Just pointing out the flaw in your pick up line."

       Jerome sighs heavily. "Seriously, I've done two today and I haven't gotten a single reaction from you. I will succeed if it's the last thing I do, which it might be because your smile kills me every time."

       I feel a blush coming along this time, so I turn around so he can't see it, hoping he just thinks I'm trying to sleep. "Good night."

       "You're no fun," Jerome says, thankfully not noticing. "But like I said, I will succeed."

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i try to make jerome and nolan be a slowburn just once but it never works out because jerome is always just so in love with nolan lol.

anyway, here's a random story for those who play/know of genshin impact: i got kazuha on tuesday after saving up all my primogems, and i'm going to be saving up for a while since idk when the next character i want is gonna show up so i decided to keep spending all primogems i get on kazuha's banner MAYBE SO I CAN GET DILUC FOR ONCE (i started playing the game for diluc back in november and i still don't have him). so i wash wishing again, got to 12 wishes since i last got kazuha AND I GOT HIM AGAIN. kazuha became my favourite five star so fast so i'm glad i have c1.

so yeah, stan kazuha and also jeraln